Accepted
by bgirlpaige
Summary: Kakashi has been after Iruka since the day they met, but Iruka won't have any of Kakashi's lazy, unconcerned attitude. So to impress Iruka, Kakashi adopts a little boy named Sasuke, but being a parent to a traumatized child isn't as easy as he thinks. K/I
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Kakashi has been after Iruka since the day they met, but Iruka won't have any of Kakashi's lazy, unconcerned attitude. So to impress Iruka, Kakashi adopts a little boy named Sasuke, but being a parent to a traumatized child isn't as easy as it seems. **

**Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka**

**Rating: T until further notice.**

**A/N: This is un-beta'd. If anyone would like the task, let me know! I'd appreciate it immensely.**

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><p><em><strong>ACCEPTED<strong>_

_**Chapter 1**_

"Come on, Iruka-chan, let's go have some fun!" Kakashi pleaded as he followed Iruka through the grocery store. Iruka huffed.

"Hatake-san, I am trying to shop here, and do not call me that!" the brunette growled. An angry blush spread across his cheeks and scarred nose. He grabbed a few boxes of dried spaghetti off of a shelf and threw them into his basket. The masked man chuckled as he followed the shorter male down the aisle.

"You're so cute when you're angry, Iruka-chan! So, dinner tonight? We can go to that little Italian restaurant that sticks the tiny Italy flag toothpicks in their sandwiches. What do you say?" he grinned.

"No! This is the hundredth time you've asked me, and for the hundredth time, the answer is no. I have to get home to Naruto, and you honestly haven't given me a reason to go out with you. So no, I won't be going to dinner with you, Hatake-san." Kakashi raised an eyebrow and continued to follow Iruka back to the front of the door and to the check-out stand.

"Hey there, Iruka-san," the cashier, and young man name Yamato greeted. "I see this dog here has yet to abandon his goal of tying you down." He gestured to Kakashi's hovering form.

"More like tying up," Kakashi commented. A vein popped in Iruka's forehead while Yamato chuckled.

"That is inappropriate, Hatake-san. Now please leave me to purchase my groceries so I can make it home to Naruto before the babysitter takes off and leaves him to destroy my apartment," he snapped. The grocery basket was slammed down onto the counter. Yamato began to scan the items while snickering amusedly to himself.

"Very well, Iruka-chan, I shall leave you alone for this evening, but don't think I've given up," Kakashi assured him. "Yamato, put Iruka's groceries on my tab. Ta!" Iruka opened his mouth to protest, but froze when a strong hand squeezed his left buttock.

"HATAKE-SAN!" he screeched and whirled to smack away the groping hand, but only caught a glimpse of Kakashi's smiling, mismatched eyes as the man vanished through the store entrance. Yamato laughed when Iruka let out a frustrated groan.

"Why not give the guy a chance, Iruka-san? He follows you everywhere. If he's that persistent, maybe it could turn out to be something worth your time," the cashier suggested. Iruka shook his head.

"I don't have time for any relationships right now. Naruto has been having trouble at school, and I've been swamped at work with new patients. A relationship just requires more work. I don't need a boyfriend, I need a vacation," the brunette muttered, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. He received a sympathetic smile.

"So, I'll just put these on Kakashi's tab," the almond-eyed cashier told him, pushing a few buttons on the dusty computer in front of him. Iruka sighed. "Don't worry about it, Iruka-san. Kakashi may be a bit of a pervert, but he's harmless."

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><p>"Naruto, I'm home!" Iruka called as he pushed his way through the door to his apartment. He set the bag of groceries onto the kitchen counter.<p>

"In here, 'Ruka!" Iruka followed the yell into the living room. Naruto sat on the couch beside Temari, the babysitter, staring wide-eyed at the television screen that had some random cartoons playing. "We're watching Spiderman!" the five-year-old exclaimed excitedly, flailing his arms about. Iruka smiled at the boy and turned to Temari.

"Was he any trouble?" he asked. Temari shook her head, making her four short pigtails bounce.

"We went through his homework, and after his snack we went out for a walk. He's only been watching television for half an hour or so," the teen reported. "He didn't throw a single tantrum."

"That's excellent. How much do I owe you?"

"1500¥ should cover it," she replied. Iruka fished the money out of his back pocket and handed it over. "Can you babysit again on Thursday? I have a meeting with one of my patients' families, so I won't be home until 5:30 or so." Temari nodded. "Alright then, I'll walk you out."

When he returned five minutes later, Naruto jumped up from the couch and ran over to his adoptive father and threw his arms around the man. Iruka crouched to the boy's height and pulled him into a hug. "Temari-chan said you did very well today, Naruto. I'm very proud of you."

"I did, huh! I only got mad once, but I did the thing you showed me where you say the letters backward and then I wasn't mad anymore! Saying the letters backward is hard!" the tiny blonde child chattered excitedly. Iruka smiled and nodded.

"Are you ready for some dinner? I got-"

"RAMEN!"

"No, I got spaghetti, which is kind of like ramen, but different," the brunette corrected him. Big blue eyes stared up at him sadly.

"But I want ramen…" Naruto sniffled.

"I know, but I told you, we can't have ramen every day, because that would make us sick. Now, go clean up any toys you have out and wash your hands, and I'll have dinner ready in a few minutes, all right?" the older male instructed. Naruto nodded and dashed down the short hallway to his room. Iruka watched him go, a small amused smile gracing his face.

Naruto had made such progress in the past year. Eighteen months earlier, Iruka had adopted Naruto as a rambunctious, attention-starved four-year-old with behavior problems. As a baby, Naruto had lost his parents at six months in an earthquake that had collapsed their family home. Minato and Kushina Uzumaki had died when they shielded their infant son from the falling building with their own bodies, leaving the child an orphan. In the local children's home, Naruto had received acceptable treatment, but the home had been crowded, resulting in Naruto not getting the amount of attention a little boy needs. In order to get that attention, he began throwing massive temper tantrums and causing an enormous amount of trouble.

A few foster homes had taken him in, but he usually ended up back at the home when the foster families couldn't deal with the boy's behavior. Iruka discovered the boy when the home called him for psychiatric evaluations on a few of their children. He had been in the middle of talking to a newly orphaned seven-year-old girl when Naruto had burst into the room, screaming and throwing building blocks everywhere. The sunshine-haired boy immediately snared the psychiatrist's interest, and three weeks later, Iruka adopted him.

The first few months had been a struggle, but once Naruto realized Iruka wasn't going to return him because he threw a tantrum or two, he began to mellow out. The only problems that the little boy had now were the occasional fit and trouble with a few children in his kindergarten class. Naruto was a much happier child now, and Iruka had found that he quite liked having the boy around.

"'Ruka, my room is clean!" Naruto yelled from his doorway.

"Alright, go wash your hands, and then you can help me get ready or dinner," Iruka called back.

"Okie-dokie!"

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><p>After a talkative dinner with Naruto, Iruka gave the boy a bath, dressed him in his bright orange pajamas, then sat him down in front of the television for one last round of cartoons while Iruka went through his work files. Naruto was sent to bed at 8:30pm, and Iruka relaxed in his favorite recliner with a random paperback novel and a glass of red wine. He worked his way through a few chapters before his eyelids started drooping with fatigue. He dropped into unconsciousness the moment his head hit the pillow.<p>

He was certainly not happy when the phone rang in the middle of the night. The shrill whine of the telephone dragged him from his dream world kicking and screaming- figuratively. His bedside clock told him it was 2:30am. The brunette shuffled his way into the kitchen and picked up the receiver. "…'lo?"

"Iruka-channn, it's me-e, Kakashi," a slurred voice drawled through the line.

"Kakashi? …'the hell? It's like… two in the morning, Kakashi…"

"I like it when you call me… Kakashi… Say it again, 'Ruka-chan, pleas-se?" Kakashi murmured. Iruka groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Are you drunk, Hatake-san?" he asked. Kakashi chuckled lowly.

"May-be just a wittle," the man giggled. "I wass thinkin' about 'chu like… all day, and I 's wonderin'… what can I do 'ta make 'Ruka-tan go out with me. So I called you 'ta ask ya. Why won't 'chu go out with me?" Iruka sighed and sat down on one of the stools in front of the counter.

"Hatake-san, you've had too much to drink. Why don't you go sleep it off, and we'll talk about this another time?"

"But I'm not tired. I jus' wanna know why…"

"Go to bed, Hatake-san," Iruka instructed firmly. He was about to push the 'end call' button, but Kakashi interjected.

"I'll just keep calling! If you hang up, I'll jus' keep callin' and callin' 'til you tell me!" the drunkard yelled. Iruka winced at the volume of his voice.

"You'll wake up Naruto," he warned. Kakashi chuckled again.

"Then you better tell me, then, 'Ruka-channn."

"Fine, I give up. If you want to know why, I'll tell you," Iruka snapped, finally giving in. "I won't go out with you because you're too irresponsible and you don't care about anything."

"Now, that's not true-"

"It is true. It's true, and you know it. You work at a dirty little shop and live in a tiny little apartment even though you could do so much better. Your mask is weird. You read those pornographic books in public, and it seems like you have nothing better to do with your time than hit on me. Look at you now! It's a Wednesday night, and you've been drinking!" Iruka told him. "Now, if it was just me, then I wouldn't have as much of a problem with your choices, but I have Naruto. That boy has had enough issues in his life already. I don't need some irresponsible, lethargic, masked pervert with no real goals in life to come in and disrupt that child's life any more than I need and STD."

"But-"

"No, Hatake-san. If you want my attention, you're going to have to clean up your act, understood?" A few mumbles echoed through the phone line. "Hatake-san, if you can prove to me that you're actually a nice guy who won't corrupt Naruto, then I might give you a chance."

"How'm I s'posed to do that?" Kakashi asked quietly. The brown-haired male sighed, shoulders drooping. His fingers fiddled with the hem on his pajama shirt in impatience.

"I don't know, Hatake-san. But listen, I don't want you to change just for me. You've gotta do it for yourself, or it'll be just like your lying to win my affections." Kakashi was silent for a few moments.

"Um… huh?" he mumbled, his intoxicated state of mind having a hard time processing Iruka's words.

"Don't change for me. Change so you can be a better person. Understand?"

"Y-yeah… maybe," Kakashi laughed. "'Night, Iruka-channn!"

"Don't call me that!" Iruka cried, then hung up and slammed the phone down onto the counter. Kakashi was just too much. He was hoping that this challenge would simply deter the mask-wearing pervert and he'd finally get some peace.

"'Ruka?" a tiny, groggy voice piped up. Iruka groaned. Naruto had woken up. He turned to face the boy. Naruto was rubbing his left eye with his fist while his right arm clutched his small stuffed fox, Kyuubi. "Who was that you were talkin' to?" he mumbled. His guardian smiled and stooped to pick him up.

"That was just a friend. He was bored and wanted someone to talk to. I'm sorry it woke you up," the older man apologized.

"…s'okay. If he's bored, he can come and play with me!" Iruka made a face in distaste.

"Maybe next time. So, how about some warm milk?"

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><p><strong>Alright. This is just a random idea that I've been bouncing around in my head. Tell me if you guys like it, and if you do, let me know so I can continue! :]<strong>

**Also, enjoy the latest chapter of my FMA fanfic, _Drag You Down_. I just updated it after about... eleven months, haha! Go check it out.**

**-bgirlpaige**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to **_**chibi-aiichan**_**, **_**Ryu Earth, Ravenclaw Samurai**_**, **_**azigah**_**, and **_**Nezkov Sou**_** for reviewing the first chapter, and to everyone who added this story to their alerts. :)**

**_Chapter 2_**

"Kakashi, are you sure you're thinking this through?" Sarutobi Asuma asked as he followed the silver-haired man into Konoha's Home for Children . Kakashi's eyes crinkled into a smile.

"Iruka said I had to grow up and be responsible. If getting a kid isn't responsible, nothing is," he replied. Asuma shook his head.

"I don't think that's how it-"

"Hello, there! I have an appointment to see Tsunade-san," Kakashi greeted the secretary, a flustered-looking woman with short brown hair. She nodded and gestured for them to take a seat before she stood and scurried out of the room. Kakashi flopped down in one of the chairs placed against the wall of the lobby, with his long legs splayed out. Asuma lowered himself into a chair two away from Kakashi's to avoid the other man's feet.

"Kakashi, I don't think you're going about this the right way. You live like a 19-year-old in his first bachelor pad. That's no place for a kid," the dark-haired male continued. Kakashi eyed him lazily.

"These kids need homes, Asuma, and I'm offering one. Are you seriously telling me to deny a child a home?" One silver eyebrow lifted accusingly. Asuma sighed and sat back, turning to stare at the empty reception desk. The secretary came back a few minutes later.

"Tsunade-sama will see you now," she told them, scuttling back to her seat behind the desk asa if it were a force field blocking them from intruding on her personal space. Kakashi stood, but Asuma remained seated.

"I'll wait out here. I really want no part of this, Kakashi," he mumbled. Kakashi shrugged merrily and sidled towards the door to Tsunade's office. A blonde woman with brown eyes and enormous breasts glared at him over a sheet of paper she held in one hand.

"Hatake Kakashi, I presume?" Kakashi couldn't help but feel as if he was being accused of some petty crime. He nodded and gave the woman a small bow in greeting. "Have a seat," she ordered. He hurriedly set himself down in one of the chairs placed in front of the woman's desk. She returned to reading over the paper, effectively tuning him out. He sat awkwardly for at least three long, quiet minutes before she set the document down and eyed him carefully. "So, you want a kid."

"Well, yes, I-"

"Why would someone like you want a kid?" Tsunade cut him off. Kakashi blinked.

"Why would I-"

"Tell me what this says." The orphanage director tossed the paper she had been reading at him. He glanced down at it.

"Hatake Kakashi. Twenty-seven years old, unmarried. Occupation, cashier-"

"That's enough. So, tell me why a young, unfocused bachelor like you wants to bring a child into his life," she questioned him. Kakashi fidgeted under her calculating gaze.

"Okay, then. I love kids, and I've always wanted to have children of my own. It's gotten pretty late in my life, and I want a family. I could make some of my own, but the right woman just hasn't come along, so I thought, 'Why not give a family to a kid that needed one instead of creating even more little monsters." he explained. Tsunade raised one disbelieving eyebrow. She stared at him in expectant silence, and he sighed in defeat. "I'm a fag…?"

"That's what I was waiting to here," the blonde smirked. She leaned forward and scribbled something onto a notepad.

"Does that make me ineligible to adopt?" Kakashi asked curiously. Tsunade shook her head.

"No, we just like to know what sort of environment our kids are being released into. Some of the children here have had traumatic experiences, and we try to find the best fit for their needs. Like one little girl that came here about ten years ago had developed a fear of men after her father abused bother her and her mother before the parents were killed in a car accident. We ended up putting her with a lesbian couple that could afford to put her through therapy. She's seventeen now, and she has a boyfriend and everything," Tsunade told him, letting a small smile cross her lips as she wrote down a few more things in her notepad.

"So gay is good?" the silver-haired man asked, waggling his eyebrows. Tsunade snickered but didn't reply. "How am I doing on your score sheet?"

"Decent. You should see some of the whack-jobs that filter through here. One man came and asked for a kid that he could transplant his soul into and become immortal. I called the police on that one," she told him. "Anyways, we just have to have someone inspect your residence and file through your finances to make sure you are able to keep a healthy environment for a child. Is there an age range or gender you would prefer to adopt? We have no children under the age of three at the moment. The younger children tend to go faster than the older. New couples want to raise the kid as their own, and the babies are like clean slates."

"What age are most of the children?"

"Well, we have a lot of five- and six-year-old boys right now. Families aren't adopting as much as they used to, not with the new scientific ways to ensure healthy pregnancies. Not to mention surrogacy and fertility treatments. People prefer their own flesh and blood, which I do understand, but they forget all about the little ones that need homes already," Tsunade said sadly. Kakashi nodded in understanding.

"Well, I think a five-year-old boy would be the best match. I'd be able to take care of him much better than say... a two-year-old girl..."

"Alright, it looks like we have all we need here." Tsunade clasped her hands together in closing. "It was nice to meet you, Hatake-san. We will be calling you in a few days to let you know if you meet our standards for adoption, and if you do, you can come back and meet some of the kids. Sound good?" Kakashi nodded and stood.

"Thank you, Tsunade-san, for giving me this opportunity," he said graciously, adding in another polite bow. She nodded in response. He had turned around and was almost to the door when she called his name.

"Kakashi-san, this is a tremendous thing you are doing, offering a home to a child in need. Don't let me down, okay?" she told him. Kakashi smiled behind his mask, his eyes crinkling.

"Of course, m'lady," he drawled, and then slipped out the door, not looking back to see Tsunade shaking her head.

Asuma was dozing off when Kakashi trooped back into the lobby of the orphanage. The taller man tapped him on the shoulder to rouse him, then stuck out his finger. Asuma turned to look at Kakashi, but was meet by a finger poking into his cheek. The two men stared at each other for a minute, Asuma a little confused and Kakashi grinning with glee. When the dark-haired male recovered, he slapped Kakashi's hand away.

"That hardly seems like a responsible thing to do for someone who aims to adopt a kid, Kakashi," he growled. Kakashi beamed and led the way out of the building. When they finally emerged out into the sunshine, Asuma finally asked, "So how'd it go?"

"Splendidly. They should be delivering my child in a few days. I didn't feel like paying the fee for overnight shipping," Kakashi replied. Asuma mock-punched him on the shoulder. "Alright, alright. They just have to come inspect my place, and make sure I'm financially sound enough to support myself and the kid."

"Kakashi, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, remember when you got that dog? That didn't go down well," the shorter male warned. Kakashi shrugged.

"Pakkun was one of a kind, and besides, he's in a much happier place now!" he shot back, indignantly. Asuma snorted.

"Yes, you dropped him off with that pervert, Jiriaya, after you discovered the feeding him alphabet soup wouldn't enable him to speak."

"And he loves it there! Jiraiya lives so far up the mountain, he's practically a hermit. Plus, now Pakkun has a ton of other doggie friends to mingle with," Kakashi exclaimed. With that, he shoved one hand into his back pocket, whipped out his book, and walked off. Asuma shook his head and slowly followed.

"I need a smoke."

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><p>Naruto sat alone in the corner of the playroom, watching the other children build a tower with big, colorful blocks. The teacher, Ms. Yuuhi, was standing by the door, talking to someone who was standing just out of view in the hallway. She wasn't aware that the other boys and girls had chased him away as soon as she had turned her attention away. A boy named Neji, with long brown hair and scary eyes had told him to go away, because Naruto was clumsy and would no doubt destroy their hard work. Neji was one of the older kids in the class, and he thought he could boss everyone around for that reason.<p>

Naruto sighed dramatically, shoulders heaving, and looked down at the single toy dinosaur he held in his hand. The plastic dino had big legs and tiny arms, and its mouth was open to display a set of sharp teeth. It had a name but Naruto couldn't pronounce it, so he just called it "Roary".

Playtime came to a halt when the teacher clapped her hands and told everyone it was snack time. A few kids let out cheers and rushed over to the tables. Naruto noticed that Neji had knocked over the tower in his hurry to get to his seat. When they were all seated, Ms. Yuuhi clapped her hands twice, not noticing the blonde child that remained seated in the corner, holding tightly onto his dinosaur.

"Okay, class, it's time to be quiet-"

"But Ms. Yuuhi!" a blue eyed girl named Ino, who had blonde hair down past her waist, waved her hand in the air.

"Yes, Ino-chan?" the teacher acknowledged.

"Naruto didn't come over to the table! He still thinks it's playtime," the little girl tattled. The girl next to her snorted.

"Naruto's so dumb," she announced, twisting a lock of pink hair in her fingers.

"That's not polite, Sakura-chan. We don't call other children names," Ms. Yuuhi chided. Then she turned to spot Naruto. "Naruto-chan, please come join us at the table, dear." The blonde boy knew better than to disobey the teacher's instructions, because that would make Iruka upset. He picked himself up off of the floor and shuffled over, clutching the dino in his hands. "Naruto, you know that you're not allowed to bring toys to the table," the woman told him gently. Naruto clutched the toy tighter.

"But, If I leave him over there, he'll be lonely," the little boy protested.

"Naruto, there are plenty of other toys to keep Mr. T-Rex company, so please put him back where he belongs."

"No, he'll be lonely!" Naruto persisted.

"Naru-"

"No! He's the only dinosaur here! He doesn't have any other dinos to be with, so he should stay with me! He won't be lonely, then!" Naruto hugged the plastic toy to his chest and shut his eyes tightly. He could her the teacher make her way over to him and stoop down to his level. He let one baby blue eye peek open to meet her red-brown eyes.

"Narut-chan, I know that you think Mr. T-Rex will be lonely because he's different, but that's not true. All the other toys love Mr. T-Rex because he's different, not because he's just like them. Being different makes you special," she told the five-year-old gently. Naruto blinked up at her, and she thought he was about to hand the toy over to her waiting hand when the little boy spoke once more.

"But… I'm different, but none of the other kids like me at all…" he whispered. She was too shocked to reply, only able to gape at the tiny blonde. Naruto hugged the toy closer. "I wanna go home…"

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><p>Iruka walked into the kindergarten building with a heavy heart. He'd gotten a call from the school, and was informed that Naruto had been brought to the office as a sobbing mess. He had been able to hear the boy sobbing in the background throughout the phone call.<p>

"Umino-san, thank you for coming over so quickly. We've tried to calm Naruto down, but I'm afraid he might make himself sick if he keeps crying the way he is," Kurenai Yuuhi told him as he stepped inside the doors. Iruka gave her a half-hearted smile.

"It's alright. I'll just take him home and give him some ramen noodles," the brunette man replied. "Do you know what brought this on?" Kurenai sighed.

"I'm afraid the other children have been excluding him from the group. For what reason, I have no idea. I'm going to be talking to them all when they come back from their lunch," the young woman answered. Iruka nodded solemnly. "Anyway, Naruto is back in Sarutobi's office." She turned and led the way to the principal's office. She opened the office's door and let Iruka through.

Naruto was sitting in one of the comfortable chairs in front of the principal's desk, his knees pulled up to his chest. Sarutobi sat in the second chair, making some friendly conversation with the child. They both looked up when Iruka stopped beside their seats.

"'Ruka-chan, you came to get me?" Naruto asked, his wide watery eyes filled with childish hope. Iruka smiled.

"Ms. Yuuhi called me and said you were very sad, so I thought I'd come cheer you up."

"The other boys and girls didn't want to play with me…" the small blonde mumbled. Iruka knelt beside the his adoptive son.

"Then they're all missing out on how much fun you can be." He rubbed the spiky blonde hair affectionately. Naruto smiled and shrugged in embarrassment. The brunette turned to face Sarutobi.

"I'm sorry for any trouble he caused. I know he can be a bit difficult, but it sounds like the other children were being a bit cruel…" The old man sighed.

"Yes, and I'll be personally attending their class tomorrow to talk to them about being kind to their classmates," he told Iruka. "Will Naruto attend school tomorrow?"

"I'll have to ask him in the morning if he's feeling up to it. So, I'll just take him home now."

"Alright. I have to get back to work. A friend of my nephew is enrolling his child into our kindergarten. He mentioned you, actually, Iruka-san. You don't know a Hatake Kakashi, do you?"

"Hatake-san? He's enrolling a child?"

"He is. From what we know, he adopted a little boy a few days ago. A five-year-old named Sasuke. With a new child, comes a new load of paperwork," the principal explained. Iruka stared at him in shock.

Kakashi adopted a child?

**Like it? :)**

**I'm trying to keep everyone in character...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just so everyone reading this knows, I tend to get distracted while writing and go slightly off-topic, so if you find any weird, unfinished thoughts, let me know and I'll do my best to fix it. Again, I don't have a beta, ad while I think I get along pretty well without one, it's always nice to have someone to sew up loose ends and whatnot. If anyone's interested, let me know. If not, well… then you're stuck with my sloppy plotline. (:**

**I apologize for the lack of length, as well as the time it took me to update , but you get what you get :P I'm just tired... Finished with finals, at least :D**

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><p>Kakashi was bored out of his mind. Weren't young, healthy children supposed to be loud and energetic? So far, his new adoptive son had done nothing but sit quietly on his couch. Tsunade had said that Sasuke was quiet and well-behaved, but a mute, child-shaped statue was overkill. The pale-skinned, dark-haired boy hadn't said one word in the five days he'd been in Kakashi's presence.<p>

His name was Uchiha Sasuke, and he was five years and two months old. He was small for his age, and had two wide, coal-colored eyes that seemed to absorb everything around him, letting no light escape from their depths. Said eyes were currently watching his newly-appointed guardian as the silver-haired man threw together something for the two of them to eat. The boy had been orphaned two years ago and had been placed in three foster homes since that time, all of which had sent him back to Konoha's Home for Children within three months. Kakashi was told that the boy had a sad and tormented background, but he wouldn't be getting the details for another week or so.

"Sasuke-chan, do you like broccoli?" Kakashi asked, turning to face the child. Sasuke blinked at him from his perch on one of the kitchen stools and shook his head 'no'. "Well, you need to eat some sort of vegetable, and I don't know which vegetables you like, so you're going to have to tell me. If not, then you'll have to have broccoli," the twenty-seven year old told the boy. Sasuke just stared at him and shrugged. "Broccoli it is, then…" Kakashi pulled a stalk of broccoli out of the refrigerator and began to chop it up into smaller chunks for the stir fry he was trying to put together without anything catching on fire.

He had just taken the pan of food off of the stove burner when his phone rang. The shrill shriek startled Sasuke, who scrunched his face into a worried, upset expression and put his hands over his ears. Kakashi cursed under his breath and hurried to pick up the receiver. The noise really bothered the five-year-old, and Kakashi was hoping he'd become desensitized to it soon, but so far there'd been no progress.

"Hello?" he greeted, putting the phone between his shoulder and cheek so he could move the food from the still-hot pan he was holding onto plates before the food burned.

"Hatake-san, this is Umino Iruka," a hesitant male voice came through the telephone. Kakashi grinned.

"Iruka-chan, how nice to hear from you! Have you reconsidered my-"

"Actually," Iruka interjected, "I'm calling because I heard that you adopted a child. I meant to call a few days ago, but I didn't have your number, so... Anyway, is this true?"

"Yes, actually. I decided I needed to take some responsibility in my life, and what better way to be responsible than helping out the community and taking in one of Konoha's many orphans? It's just my way of doing my part for our wonderful city," Kakashi told the younger man. He turned and gave Sasuke a smile through his mask, but the young boy responded with an uninterested stare.

-.-

"And… how is it going so far?" Iruka asked, worriedly twirling his phone cord between two fingers.

"Splendid, I must say. He's a quiet boy, but very well-behaved. And he's had no objections to sleeping on the floor in the kitchen-"

"You make him sleep on the floor?" Iruka screeched, horror-stricken. Kakashi's merry laugh rang through the phone line.

"Of course not, 'Ruka-chan! I was only joking. He has his own room, a nice bed, and plenty of toys, I promise," the older man snickered. Iruka huffed. "Did I ruffle your feathers, 'Ruka-chan?"

"Enough, Hatake-san. I'm just making sure everything is alright. I am a psychiatrist, you know. I just think it seems as if you made this decision to adopt a child rather abruptly," the brunette explained. He was pacing around his home office, and would probably end up tangled in the phone cord by the end of their conversation.

-.-

"I assure you, Iruka-chan, everything is fine. Sasuke is a little different, but he's a very nice boy, and I think we get along rather well," Kakashi said as he placed a plate full of fried meat, peppers, and broccoli in front of the five year old. Sasuke picked up a pair of chopsticks and began to eat.

"Sasuke, his name is?" Iruka asked.

"Yup, Uchiha Sasuke," Kakashi confirmed.

"Hatake, Uchiha Sasuke is a new patient of mine I'm supposed to meet next week. A little five year old boy," Iruka said quietly.

"Hmm? Oh, Tsunade told me that Sasuke would benefit from some counseling, so I set up an appointment. You're the psychiatrist he's going to see?" the masked-man played the oblivious card. He heard Iruka sigh on the other side of the phone.

"Kakashi-san, are you sure a psychologically troubled child is the right thing for you right now? Troubled kids are a lot of work, and can be very difficult to handle. Not to mention he needs a stable environment that he feels he's safe in-"

"Iruka, it's fine. He seems perfectly normal, just a little quieter than most children. Now, if it's alright, I'd like to eat dinner with him, so I'm going to let you go. I'll talk to you when we discuss Sasuke's counseling, okay?"

"What? Wait, Hatake-san-"

"Goodbye, Iruka-chan!" Kakashi cried, then pressed the disconnect button. After a few seconds contemplation, he pulled the phone's wires out of the phone jack. Iruka was likely to call back again, and he didn't want the phone's ringing to disturb Sasuke any further. He sat down next to the child, taking a peek at the boy's plate. Sasuke was eating his food in a little pattern: first, he'd pick up a piece of meat, eat it slowly, and then scoop up a few peppers. Once those were chewed thoroughly, he's choose a piece of broccoli, eat that without complaint, then start his process over again. Kakashi raised a curious eyebrow, but shrugged it off as he turned to his own meal.

* * *

><p>The next morning, when Iruka got to work, the first thing he did was find Uchiha Sasuke's file. He wanted to get a jump-start on Sasuke's treatment, since the boy would surely need it after spending a week in Kakashi's presence. Tsunade, who often called on him to counsel a few of the children when the Home could afford it, was supposed to fax the boy's entire file to Iruka's office within the next few days or so, and Iruka had heard the boy's history was a frightening mess, which made the brunette man all the more worried about Sasuke being in Kakashi's custody. He truly didn't understand how Tsunade could have approved Kakashi as a fit guardian for such a troubled child.<p>

Iruka didn't mean to be… uncertain in Kakashi's ability to care for a child, but in the amount of time he'd known the silver-haired man, he'd never seen one ounce of responsibility or sense of direction in said man's life. He worked at a small, shabby bookstore that made most of its profit from selling dirty romance novels and racy magazines, as well as X-rated manga and anime products. Kakashi himself sat behind the counter and read those dirty romance novels; Iruka knew this because Mizuki, an old co-worker, had dragged him into the shop on more than one occasion.

In fact, now that Iruka thought about it, that was how he and Kakashi met. He and Mizuki had been on their way back from a lunch break one random work day a few years back- before Naruto was a part of Iruka's life- when Mizuki had spotted the newest edition of one of his favorite series in the window of the small shop. He had pulled Iruka in after him, but had soon disappeared down on the other cluttered aisles, leaving Iruka to stare in horror at the many breast-filled covers presented to him. The brunette had stumbled to the front of the little store in hopes to find refuge from the influx of flesh-filled images, only to collide with the back of a tall, silver-haired man.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," he had stuttered, a fiery blush crawling up his neck.

"Oh, no worries," the man assured him as he turned around.

The first thing Iruka noticed was the mask. What person in their right mind wears a mask covering the majority of their face? Especially in Konoha, considering the sunny climate.

The second thing to catch Iruka's attention was the porn in the man's hand, flipped open to a page near the end of the colorful novel. A page with a very… ahem… graphic illustration on it.

A vein promptly popped in Iruka's forehead.

"Well, aren't you cute!" the creepy pervert had exclaimed. "What's your name, cutie?"

"None of your-"

"Iruka-san, where did you- oh! Kakashi-san, how are you?" Mizuki greeted as he sidled up to his co-worker and apparent friend.

"Ah, um… Misuko, was it?" this _Kakashi_ replied. Mizuki smiled.

"Mizuki, actually. We met as Asuma's barbecue a few months ago," the shorter grey-haired man supplied. Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in a smile.

"Ah, yes, it's good to see you again. I was just getting to know your friend here."

"Yes, and we have to being going now. So sorry, goodbye!" Iruka cried, grabbing Mizuki's hand and running out the door.

"See you around!" Kakashi called after them.

And that was how it all started. Since that day, Kakashi seemed to be everywhere. And the silver-haired man's fixation on Iruka had managed to grow into a crush of epic proportions. The man popped up when Iruka least expected it, and tried to win his affections with bouquets of flowers, candies, and other lovey things. Once he'd even tried to serenade the brunette, but only succeeded in getting them both thrown out of the restaurant Kakashi had followed Iruka into. Chasing after Iruka seemed to be the only thing Kakashi took somewhat seriously, if the amount of time he spent following the other around as anything to go by.

Iruka groaned, running a hand over his loose bangs. He was in for a lot of work.

* * *

><p>Sasuke stood beside the tall man that was now his guardian, looking at the school apprehensively. Kakashi-san said that they'd wait for the rest of the children to go inside before they entered, so Sasuke wouldn't get caught up in the fray. Sasuke didn't want to go to school with the other children. He could learn on his own, by reading books. But Kakashi-san said that he'd like this school, and that he'd make lots of friends. The five-year-old turned his eyes down to the pavement, scuffing the toe of his shoe against a small crack.<p>

He'd rather not make any new friends. He didn't want to talk to anyone, least of all other boys and girls. He wanted to go back to Kakashi-san's apartment.

But now his new guardian was leading the way to the school entrance. The hoards of noisy children had all gone inside, so it was a bit quieter now. Sasuke obediently followed Kakashi into the building.

The walls inside the school were painted in a multitude of colors. Large blobs of what seemed to be farm animals were randomly placed on one wall. They weren't very good, Sasuke thought. He could draw better farm animals. He glanced at another wall. This one was painted to look like an ocean, with a big blue whale that was squirting water from the hole on top of its head. The whale actually looked like a whale, unlike the supposed sheep and cows on the other wall.

"Do you like the pictures?" a voice asked. Sasuke jumped, startled, and spun around to face the voice. A woman with black hair and red-brown eyes smiled down at him. He watched her carefully. Sometimes people that smiled were faking it. "You must be Sasuke. I'm Ms. Yuuhi, your new teacher," she told him happily.

Sasuke glanced up at Kakashi, but the masked man was busy writing something on a piece of paper. The boy turned his attention back to the woman, only to find himself suddenly face to face with her. He backed away quickly. He didn't want her to be so close. He didn't want to be here at all.

"Come on, Sasuke-chan, let's go to the classroom. All of your new classmates are waiting to meet you," Ms. Yuuhi said, holding out her hand for him to take. Sasuke blinked at it, not wanting to take her hand but not knowing if he had a choice.

"Eh, I don't think he really likes being touched," Kakashi suddenly came to his rescue. The silver-haired man gave him a crinkled-eyed smile. Ms. Yuuhi raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? Alright then, that's something we'll work on," she told them as she stood up. "Come on, Sasuke-chan, let's go." She motioned for him to follow her down the hallway. He moved a meter or so down the hallway before he turned back to look at Kakashi. His guardian urged him on with a smile and a motion of the hand. Sasuke glanced at Ms. Yuuhi, then back at Kakashi once more before he followed his new teacher to the classroom. She led him inside and announced their arrival. Fifteen or so pairs of big, childish eyes turned their attention to him. A few mumbles echoed through the room, along with a handful of whispers.

He didn't want to be here.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Again, sorry for whatever weird sentence structuring I've got going on in here, as well as my messy topics.**

**Also, yes, it's all a mix of Japanese and American 'culture' or whatever. "Ms. Yuuhi" as opposed to "Yuuhi-sensei" because I wasn't really thinking when I wrote the last chapter (I write these at like 3am). Just go with it (:**

**Hope you enjoyed (:**

**-bgirl**


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